Flexible chain construction



Oct. 23, 1951 w, F, HESS 2,572,620

FLEXIBLE CHAIN CONSTRUCTION Filed April 14, 1947 TT :T'I E av 95 ga L 6'2 Patented Oct. 23,1951

orriics I FLEXIBLE CHAIN CONSTRUCTION William F. Hess, Providence, R. I.

Application April 14, 1947, Serial No. 741,184 2 Claims. (01. 5980) The present invention relates to the jewelry art, and has particular reference to a novel construction for a flexible ornamental chain.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a circular metal chain made of folded stamped metal links.

Another object of the invention is to utilize a novel construction of chain finding which interlocks to form a finished round chain.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an extremely rigid chain construction made of folded interlocking links of identical shape.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in View, the invention consists of a novel arrangement of 'parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and more specifically defined in the claims appended thereto.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a chain constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through several assembled finding links;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one link folded into the position assumed on assembly;

Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the folded link of 1 Fig. 5; and

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the novel link blank for forming an interlock link.

It has been found desirable to manufacture an extremely flexible metal chain by interlocking folded stamped metal links, the parts being so arranged that the resulting chain construction is extremely strong and yet possesses suflicient flexibility for use as a watch chain, bracelet chain, ke ring chain or the like. To this end, I stamp link blanks of special form out of flat sheet stock, the blanks being then bent or folded in interlocking relation to form the assembled chain.

Referring to the drawings, the flexible chain II] is assembled from a plurality of separate link elements II which are interlocked as hereinafter described. Each element includes a base I2 having two opposite straight sides I3, I4 and two opposite arcuate sides I5, I6, the arcuate sides having arcuate flanges I1, I8 which terminate in curved upper edges I9, 2!]; two rounded side portions 2|, 22 extend from the straight sides I3, I4, and have segmental inner ends 23, 24 which lie in the plane of the base I2 when the portions 2|, 22 are folded upwardly, to provide a generally circular formation at the base. The outer ends of the side portions 2|, 2 2 have inwardly directed lock portions 25, 26 which may be of any desired shape, but preferably are formed as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 7, the lock portions 25, 26 extending radially inwardly when the link is bent into assembled shape as shown in Fig. 5, and having prongs 21, 28, 29 and 30 which seat on the flange edges I9, 20 and center lock segments 3|, 32 which are bent down to engage the inner surfaces of the flanges. As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the flanges I1, I3 are preferably of slightly less radius than the side portions 2|, 22 when the link element is folded in assembled position.

The assembly of the chain is accomplished by interlocking successive link elements II by extending the arcuate side portions 2|, 22 over the arcuate flanges I'I, I3 in telescoping relation and folding them inwardly to extend the lock portions 25, 26 over the upper edges I9, 20 of the flanges, the lock segments 3|, 32 being bent down over the flanges as illustrated in Fig. 2 and as indicated in Fig. 5. The adjacent link elements are thus at right angles to each other, and have a slight play due to the difference in height of the flanges and the side portions. The height of the arcuate flanges I'I, I8 is regulated or set to provide a desired clearance between adjacent link elements so as to obtain a desired flexibility, a smaller space providing less clearance and making a more rigid chain, and a longer space providing more clearance and greater flexibility.

I have thus described an arrangement whereby an assembled chain is obtained by consecutively interlocking link elements having alternate arcuate flanges and arcuate side portions of greater length than the flanges, the parts being positioned at right angles to each other so that the side portions of one link element extends over in telescoping relation to the flanges of the adjacent link element and are locked over the telescoped flanges, the parts being so designed that the completed chain has a round formation, whereby the assembled chain is very resistant to breakage or other inadvertent separation of the link elements.

Although I have described a specific embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that changes in the size, shape and arrangement of the parts may be made to suit the requirements for different flexible chain constructions, without departing from the spirit and the scope of the in vention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an ornamental chain construction, a series of interlocked links each comprising a base having two opposite straight sides and two opposite arcuate sides, the arcuate sides having upstanding arcuate flanges, and the straight sides having upstanding rounded side portions in telescoping relation to the flanges of the adjacent link, segmental inner ends in the plane of the base and lock elements on their outer edges directed inwardly in and extending over looking relation to the arcuate flanges of the adjacent link.

2. A blank for an ornamental chain link, comprising a base having two opposite :str-aightsides -l sides having rounded side portions extending therefrom with segmental inner ends and lock elements on their outer edges, said rounded side portions being bendable in upstanding relation to the base with the segmental ends in the plane of the base and the edge lock elements directed inwardly.

WILLIAM F. HESS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the .file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,702,335 Blaich Feb. 19, 1929 1,925,190 Jenkes Sept. 5, 1933 2,428,219 Hess Sept. 30, 1947 

